Daylily plant named &#39;CENTERTON ONE&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Hemerocallis  cultivar of the dormant type is provided. The new cultivar is very floriferous and forms attractive ruffled bright orange flowers with a deeper orange eyezone displaying substantial substance, and a funnel-shaped form over an extended period of time. In U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 6, blooming commonly begins during June and commonly ends during mid-September. The new cultivar displays a plurality of fans and a plurality of scapes per fan. In excess of 20 buds commonly are formed per scape. The new cultivar is well suited for growing as distinctive colorful ornamentation in the landscape.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Hemerocallis hybrida/Daylily

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Centerton One

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofHemerocallis plant of the dormant type, and hereinafter is referred toby the cultivar name ‘Centerton One’.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program which hadas its objective the creation of a new Daylily cultivar that is intendedfor use as attractive ornamentation in the landscape.

The cross that resulted in the production of the new cultivar of thepresent invention was carried out in a controlled environment duringMay, 1999, at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., the seedparent) of the new cultivar was the ‘Indy Inca's Gold’ cultivar(non-patented in the United States) which displays golden yellow flowersof less than optimum substance.

The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) of the new cultivar was the‘Brazilian Coral’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) whichdisplays coral/red flowers of less than optimum substance. Each of theparent plants is registered with the American Hemerocallis Society.

The parentage of the new cultivar of the present invention can besummarized as follows:

‘Indy Inca's Gold’×‘Brazilian Coral’.

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and smallplantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically differentfrom each other. A number of such plants were transplanted into thefield at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A., during June 2000. Selective studyduring May-June 2001 resulted in the identification of a single plant ofthe new cultivar.

It was found that the new Hemerocallis plant of the present invention isof the dormant type and:

(a) forms attractive ruffled bright orange flowers with a deeper orangeeyezone having substantial substance, and a funnel-shaped form,

(b) possesses a long blooming season with substantially multiple repeatblooming,

(c) exhibits a propensity to readily display a plurality of fans,

(d) readily forms a plurality of scapes per fan over the floweringseason, and

(e) commonly forms in excess of 20 buds per scape.

The ‘Centerton One’ cultivar resembles some well-known cultivars, suchas the ‘Stella D' Oro’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) andthe ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) in thesense that it commonly possesses an unusually long and substantiallycontinuous blooming season (i.e., a multiple repeat character) of up toapproximately 80 days in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No. 6. Such bloomingcommonly begins during June and commonly ends during mid-September. Thiscompares to a bloom period of less than about 30 days for over 99percent of the hybrid Daylilies that are available in the trade.

As indicated, the ‘Centerton One’ plant exhibits attractive ruffledbright orange flowers with deeper orange eyezone. Such flowers can bereadily distinguished from the orange-yellow flowers of the ‘Stella D'Oro’ cultivar, and the medium yellow flowers of the ‘Happy Returns’cultivar. To the best knowledge of the originator, the ‘Centerton One’cultivar is the first long and substantially continuously bloomingDaylily having flowers that exhibit such a bright orange hue combinedwith substantial substance.

The new cultivar can form up to 5 or more fans per year. This comparesto approximately 6 to 8 fans per year for the ‘Stella D' Oro’ cultivarand the ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar. Most Daylily cultivars form onlyapproximately 2 to 3 fans per year. Also, the new cultivar commonlyforms several scapes per fan during the flowering season, unlike mostDaylilies that commonly produce only one scape per fan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division was initiallycarried out on Sep. 1, 2001 at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. At the time ofsuch asexual reproduction the original plant of the new cultivarconsisted of a clump of five fans that were phenotypically identical toeach other. More specifically, the clump of the new cultivar was removedfrom the field and the fans were divided. It has been demonstrated thatthe characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are wellretained following this asexual reproduction.

The ‘Centerton One’ plant has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light, day length, contact with pesticides, etc.

The new ‘Centerton One’ cultivar will be marketed by the Assignee underthe JERSEY EARLYBIRD trademark beginning in May, 2012.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 show the originalplant of the new cultivar in color as nearly true as it is possible tomake the same in color illustrations of this character. Each photographwas obtained during early- to mid-June, beginning in 2007 and ending in2011 while the plant was being grown either in the field or in agreenhouse at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. The attractive ruffled brightorange flowers with a deeper orange eyezone in various stages ofdevelopment are illustrated as well as foliage, unopened floral buds,stamens, and pistil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors described herein isthe R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England. In some instances, more common color terms are provided and areto be accorded their usual dictionary significance. The original plantof the new cultivar is described, except as otherwise indicated, whenobserved during August 2011 while growing at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A.under field growing conditions.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Hemerocallis hybrida.        -   Commercial name.—Daylily.        -   Cultivar.—Centerton One.-   Plant:    -   -   Height.—Approximately 51 cm at an age of one year.        -   i Width.—Approximately 62 cm at an age of one year.        -   Foliage.—Form: single stem, substantially erect fan-shaped            plant having narrow arching, long, keeled, grass-like            glabrous slightly textured leaves that are two-ranked at the            base of the scape. — Quantity: abundant, with a mature plant            commonly having approximately 16 leaves per fan. — Leaf            Size: commonly approximately 1.75 cm in width on average,            and approximately 49.5 cm in length on average. — Leaf            Shape: linear and long-keeled with entire margins. —            Texture: glabrous. — Color: Yellow-Green Group 146A. — Type:            dormant with the plant commonly retaining some green            coloration during the winter in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone No.            6b.        -   Scape.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 137B. — Length: commonly            approximately 51 cm on average.        -   Disease resistance.—Typical of Hemerocallis with no problems            having been observed to date.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Bud.—Form: modified oblanceolate (as illustrated in FIG. 4).            — Size: on the day prior to opening commonly approximately            6.5 cm in length on average, and approximately 2 cm in width            on average. —Opening Rate: commonly approximately three            hours on average. — Peduncle Character: rigid and sturdy. —            Peduncle Color: Green Group 143A.        -   Flower.—Size: commonly has a diameter of approximately 12.5            cm on average and a depth of approximately 6.5 cm on            average. — Borne: singly on the branchlets of a sturdy erect            rachis which is ramulose. Each scape commonly has at least            20 peduncles, each of which divides into approximately 2            pedicels. — Blooms Per Scape: commonly approximately 1 or 2            each day. — Tepalage: each flower consists of six perianth            segments wherein there are three outer tepals and three            inner tepals all in an imbricated arrangement. — Outer Tepal            Shape: oblanceolate with slightly undulated entire margins            and an acuminate apex. — Outer Tepal Texture: slightly            ribbed. — Outer Tepal Size: commonly approximately 6.5 cm in            length on average and approximately 3.5 cm in width on            average. — Outer Tepal Color: the overall area is Orange            Group 28B, and the base is Yellow-Green Group 151A. — Inner            Tepal Texture: pie crust ruffled edge. — Inner Tepal Size:            commonly approximately 6.5 cm in length on average and            approximately 5 cm in width on average. — Inner Tepal Color:            the overall area is Orange Group 25A, and the base is            Yellow-Green Group 151A. — Inner Tepal Eyezone:            approximately 0.75 cm in width on average, and a deeper            Orange-Red Group 32A in coloration (as illustrated). —            Blooming Habit: the flowers commonly bloom substantially            continuously and the scape commonly is substantially            continuously in bloom for up to approximately 80 days per            year in Hardiness Zone No. 6. — Effects of Weather: the            flowers will withstand rain damage in view of the strength            of the tepals. — Lasting Quality: commonly at least 16            hours. As with other Hemerocallis cultivars known to the            inventor, the flower color eventually fades somewhat during            the day with the natural effects of environmental conditions            and ongoing maturity. — Fragrance: none.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamen Number: six per flower. — Stamen            Disposition: individually inserted at the summit of the            perianth tube. — Anther Disposition: introrse. — Anther            Size: approximately 5 mm in length. — Anther Color: Black            Group 202B. — Filament Configuration: slender. — Filament            Length: commonly approximately 4.5 cm on average. — Filament            Color: Yellow-Orange Group 20A. — Pollen Color:            Yellow-Orange Group 23A. — Pistil Number: one per flower. —            Style Length: approximately 6.5 cm on average. — Style            Color: Yellow-Orange Group 22C. — Stigma Color:            Yellow-Orange Group 22D. — Ovaries: three-celled, oblong,            and becoming a loculiedally three-valved capsule.        -   Fruit.—Configuration: the seed pod is in the form of an            ovoid capsule. — Color: at maturity commonly is Yellow-Green            Group 146A. — Fertility: the seeds are fertile.-   Hardiness: Cold tolerance is displayed in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone    No. 4a, and heat tolerance is displayed in U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone    No. 8b.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plant of the dormanttype, substantially as herein shown and described, which: (a) formsattractive ruffled bright orange flowers with a deeper orange eyezonehaving substantial substance, and a funnel-shaped form, (b) possesses along blooming season with substantially multiple repeat blooming, (c)exhibits a propensity to readily display a plurality of fans, (d)readily forms a plurality of scapes per fan over the flowering season,and (e) commonly forms in excess of 20 buds per scape; substantially asillustrated and described.